MOVIE REVIEW: ; Star power can't help corny 'Larry Crowne'

'Larry Crowne'

(PG-13) H 1/2

"Larry Crowne" serves as a reminder that you can have two of themost likable, bankable stars on the planet together, but strongwriting is crucial to making them shine.

Even the combined, blinding brilliance of Tom Hanks and JuliaRoberts can't salvage the corny, contrived script - which Hanks, whoalso directed the film, co-wrote. His longtime friend Nia Vardalos("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") was his collaborator, and the shtickynature of her style is just overpowering.

Main characters behave in unbelievable ways and say just theright poignant things at just the right times; meanwhile, supportingplayers are relegated to one-note roles that are straight out of asitcom, like Cedric the Entertainer and Taraji P. Henson as Hanks'wisecracking, yard sale-loving neighbors.

But the main problem is that Hanks, as the central figure, is asbland as the film's title. Larry Crowne undergoes a major lifechange when he finds himself downsized out of his job at a behemothsuperstore; middle-aged and divorced, he decides it's finally timeto go to college. But there's not much momentum, and it's hard toget a handle on who he is beyond his generically pleasant, slightlynerdy demeanor, so his transformation lacks the punch it should havehad by comparison.

Larry enrolls in a speech class where Roberts is the frustrated,frequently hung-over professor, Mercedes Tainot. She's havingtroubles of her own which drive her to make margaritas the secondshe gets home each day: Her husband, a former novelist, now sitsaround blogging and watching internet porn. Bryan Cranston, who weknow is capable of emotional complexity from his role on "BreakingBad," merely comes off as a selfish, overgrown adolescent who likesbig boobs.

Larry finds his life upended by a fellow student in his economicsclass: the gorgeous and free-spirited Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). Outof nowhere, she invites him to join her scooter gang, rearranges hisfurniture and gives him a makeover. It's hard to believe she'd evengive him the time of day, much less christen him with a hip nickname("Lance Corona") and start texting him within minutes of meetinghim. Then again, she isn't fleshed out terribly well, either, whichmakes her motivation even more unclear.

Suddenly, Mercedes is interested in Larry, too - in a romanticway - although she remains so frequently surly, that's hard tofigure out, too. In another actress' hands, the performance mighthave seemed off-putting, even a little sad. But this is JuliaRoberts, so simply busting out that famous smile from time to timesoftens things.

Indeed, "Larry Crowne" seems all too eager to please, even thoughit features some serious - and seriously relevant - subject matter.The reality of people finding themselves out of work and lost as tohow to reinvent themselves after decades in the same job ishappening everywhere, every day. Hanks and Co. play the uncertaintyof this phenomenon for fluffy, feel-good laughs.

To see Hanks and Roberts playing off each other at theircharismatic, witty best, go back and watch them in the bitingpolitical satire "Charlie Wilson's War." Larry Crowne could haveused a little Aaron Sorkin.

"Larry Crowne," a Universal Pictures release, is rated PG-13 forbrief strong language and some sexual content. Running time: 98minutes. One and a half stars out of four.